Vintage Dress turned Open Back Romper Refashion

I was iffy about this vintage dress when I first spotted it online. Didn’t take much convincing though, when I realized it was dirt cheap ($3) and was in a size 18, meaning lots to work with.

Once I had it in my possession, it sorta grew on me as it looked better in person. It has an interesting print with it’s mix of abstract and geometric patterns.

Rather than a simple resize, I wanted to take things a step further (don’t I always?!). Having lots to play with, I felt a DIY romper was in order.

Here’s what I did

1. Using a pair of shorts (as my pattern) folded lengthwise, I placed it on the very bottom of the dress (also folded lengthwise) with side seams together.
2. I then added allowance all around and cut. At the waist, I added an extra couple inches so the crotch would hang low enough, to avoid “wedgies”.
3. Once cut, I ended up with 2 pieces which I then laid out with right sides facing. I first pinned and sewed the crotch depth together, followed by the inseam.
4. For the top portion of the romper, there was a lot to be taken in so I removed the bulk entirely, including the sleeves. As for the back, I took out the zipper and added flat cording (from an old hoodie) at the neck.
5. To cut the new armholes, I used a tank top as my pattern. I then folded over the edges twice, pinned and finished with a straight stitch, along with the side seams.
6. Next, I placed the top inside the shorts with right sides facing, pinned the waists together and finished with a straight stitch. *For the photo, I pulled the top from the bottom after pinning.
7. Afterwards, I inserted 1/4″ elastic in the waist. This was done by laying the allowance flat on one side and sewing another row of straight stitch 1/2 inch from the last.
8. The cuffs on the romper I did by simply turning up the old hem, which was 2″ wide. I folded the cuffs 1 1/2″ wide and hand sewed them in place. 

I wanted to include the sleeves so I made them removable. To do this, I cut the sleeves from the excess I removed earlier, leaving 1″ allowance. I then took in the sides a bit and finished the edges of the allowance with a zig zag stitch. Lastly, I placed a few snaps all around on both the sleeves and armholes, and done!

Removable sleeves with underarm vents

Back tie-neck closure is from an old hoodie

Laid back summer daytime look, ready for next season!

Summer into fall look

I have a hard time eliminating the sleeves from my remakes especially if they’re oversized! I feel they are so chic and feminine and really add that wow factor to any outfit.

This set was no different! The shoulder pads I left in because they still served their purpose in maintaining the structure of the sleeves, as well as the shoulders. Just in case you were wondering.

Not sure you noticed but I have quite a few purple pieces in my collection. I assure you, it’s pure coincidence. Purple was actually one of my favorite colors until my twin sister got married. That’s a story for another day. Haha!

Thoughts?